Summer is a great time for kids to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing.  The pressures of school  are left behind, and  there are lots of new experiences – family trips and summer camp. Kids love to record their memories and share them with their family and friends through letters and drawings.

eeboo is known for its high quality children’s stationery, diaries, sketchbooks and colored pencils. We love their new Beautiful line, pictured here. These lovely eeboo products make a perfect summer gift for a girl ages 6 and up.

There is an article on the front page of the New York Times today about the growing popularity of teaching engineering in elementary schools to children as young as Kindergarten. Advocates argue that engineering strengthens and connects math and science skills, and links them to real life. If kids learn early that math and science can be used to solve problems and design structures that work – like pulleys, bridges, etc… they are more likely to be interested in math and science, the argument goes. Working on projects together also fosters social skills and collaboration, invaluable assets in the work force.  The federal government is currently working on legislation to promote engineering education in elementary schools nationwide.

The proof in the pudding, advocates say, is that the children love the engineering curriculum and talk about it at the dinner table.  Whether or not your child has engineering in their school curriculum, you can nuture and reinforce it at home with this comprehensive and interactive Intro to Engineering kit from Thames & Kosmos. It is specially designed for children ages 5 to 7.

Our cousin Rebecca is turning four this month and my kids are very excited to celebrate with her at her birthday party in her backyard. (My city kids are a little in awe of backyards.)

I have been thinking about what to give Rebecca for her 4th birthday. She has an older sister who is six, and between them they certainly have a lot of toys, which can make it challenging to find something they don’t already have. That’s why at GIFT HERO, we try to select toys that are a little more unique and less predictable.

For Christmas, we gave Rebecca the Superstructs Pinklets building set for girls. It is a unique building set created specifically for girls and has pieces that lets girls build a flower garden and butterfiles.  Many building sets are created with boys in mind and then  the pieces are painted pink or pastel for girls. 

 I got an email last week from Rebecca’s mom asking me if we had something just like Superstructs Pinklets to give Rebecca for her birthday since she and her sister play with it all of the time.  Luckily, Superstructs has come out with another kit for girls – Superstructs Lilies, which contains simliar pieces that can interchange with the Pinklets set. I can’t wait to see Rebecca’s face light up when we give her a new addition to her favorite toy!

My  six year old daughter Maya received this amazing art case by Alex as a present last year.  It is definitely one of her favorite things to take on the go. It’s completely portable and comes with 96 pieces to keep her busy for a long time. I comes with both broad and fine tip markers, crayons, watercolors, colored pencils, scissors, glue and even a note pad. Each piece has it’s own place where it stays securely fastened. This art case is completely built for travel.

I love it too because it is so easy to share – there is easily enough stuff to keep several kids entertained at one time. We bring it to the park with a bunch of paper and kids come over and start drawing with Maya. It’s great for your own kid, but it also makes a wonderful birthday gift for a 4-6 year old. It’s also a great gift to bring when visiting a family with children this summer.

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and and I went to event that had an incredible magician. This guy had us (and virtually everyone there) captivated with his card tricks.  He was the best I have ever seen…and apparently, he travels the world to entertain luminaries like Bill Gates.

My 6 year old son Benjamin would have loved it and since I’m always on the lookout for great party ideas, this planted a seed for me that maybe we should have a magic theme (with a much less “fancy” magician) for Benjamin’s 7th birthday party next winter.  He didn’t have a 6th birthday party so we kind of owe him something special this year.

Many kids Benjamin’s age love magic so at GIFT HERO we sell the terrific Discovery Magic Set from Melissa and Doug. This kids’ gift includes four easy-to master (but very impressive) tricks for boys and girls ages 6 and up. As they learn the tricks and entertain family and friends, they will build confidence and fine motor skills.  I think I’ll get this set for Benjamin – I can put him to use as the entertainment at my next dinner party!

I discovered these adorable reusable lunch bags called “LunchSkins” this weekend in a little store downtown.  They are made from a special fabric that is lead-free, bpa-free and phthalate free. It is also dishwasher safe.

I have to admit that until now I had used plastic containers for my kids’ sandwiches. It seemed better than disposable plastic bags, but I still didn’t like the idea of using plastic every day. My kids were excited to see the bags in their lunchboxes this morning!

Lunchskins is the brainchild of 3 Green Moms, three moms who wanted to find an alternative to plastic bags for their kids. On their website, lunchskins.com, they also sell smaller snack size bags and larger sub size bags.

This weekend, Benjamin and I planted our herb garden. Last summer we had a small plot right outside our kitchen. By mid-summer, it was overgrown and a huge success so this year, we more than doubled the space. In addition to the mint and chives that came back strong and hearty from last year’s garden, we replanted basil, rosemary and parsley and added oregano. We are also experimenting with ancho chilies and jalapeno peppers.

Gardening is a great family activity. It gets you outside and active (turning the soil, pulling out old roots and all that digging aren’t as easy as they look). It turns kids on to how things grow – it is awesome for them to watch and help the tiny seedlings grow into big plants. Even better, albeit riskier, is to start with seeds.  Plus gardening, especially growing herbs or vegetables, gets kids interested in trying new flavors and foods. To get them excited about helping out, a gardening kit is a great kids’ gift for a young child. At GIFT HERO, we love the Kid’s Watering Can Kit from Toysmith.  It’s the perfect summer birthday gift for 5 and up. It includes a colorful metal watering can, shovel, rake, trowel and gloves…for that rare child who doesn”t want to get his hands dirty.

How many weekend mornings do you wake-up and realize you have 48 free hours and no plans? That was quite a luxury pre-kids but now, it just makes me panic. I recently discovered a great resource that helps me avoid such crises.

Macaroni Kid is a free weekly e-newsletter and website that lists all of the best events and activities for kids and families in your community. It was started about a year and a half ago in the Hamptons(aka the east end of Long Island, NY) and it now reaches more than 125 communities around the country.  Local parents write each edition and put their own spin on it. I use Macaroni Kid in Manhattan and in the Hamptons – the events they list are things I actually want to go to and that both Benjamin and I will enjoy. Last weekend, we found out about Curious George Family Day at the Jewish Museum which was a ton of fun (and killed 3 hours on Sunday afternoon).

The NYC edition (www.nyceast.macaronikid.com) is run by Manhattan mom Monica Storch.  Monica does a wonderful job listing free events such as library and bookstore storytimes as well as cool places to go that you might not otherwise hear about like the Glass Gardens at NYU and the Mount Vernon Hotel Museum & Garden on E.61st street.  Each week, she also hosts awesome giveaways (full disclosure, last week she did a giveaway for a $50 GIFT HERO gift certificate).

I encourage you to check out Macaroni Kid and sign up for your local edition. If you are lucky enough to live in Manhattan, visit Monica’s website to sign up.  For other cities, visit http://national.macaronikid.com/ to learn more.

Since he was a baby, my now 6yo son Benjamin has loved vehicles – planes, trains, automobiles, you name it. I am pretty sure his first word was “car” and he used to spend hours looking down from our apartment window at all of the vehicles making their way down Lexington Avenue. His tastes have evolved over the years and have significantly influenced the selection of gifts for boys sold at GIFT HERO.

Over the past couple of years, Benjamin has been excited by remote control vehicles. We’ve tried all types from a batmobile to sports cars to soccer shoes that kick a ball (true, not really a vehicle). We are lucky enough to have a second home with a deck and yard and pool which has given Benjamin lots of places to play. Well…I have to say that a gravel driveway is not a great place for a typical remote control car.  They get stuck and spin their wheels and completely frustrate a young boy.

Last summer, a weekend guest gave Benjamin the Morphibians Land Shark.  Made by Kid Galaxy, this kids’ gift  is the coolest and sturdiest remote control car we have ever tried. It speeds across that gravel driveway, plows through sand and can even go in the pool.  As soon as we tried it (and everytime we played with it all summer, fall and winter (yes, can use in snow too), I knew it was on the short list for our outdoor gifts category. 

That reminds me…I need to pick up a pack of batteries for this weekend!

When I saw the Pumponator at Toy Fair this year, I knew it was going to be a huge success. It’s a brilliant invention – now kids can fill water balloons without needing access to a hose or faucet. Suddenly, water balloons are a now a portable play possibility – park, beach, you name it.

What makes the Pumponator even more fascinating to me is that it was invented by an 8 year old. Check out this video of 8 year old Lexi, inventor of the Pumponator, demonstrating how it works.  This kid is awesome, but so are her parents and grandparents, who got behind her and made the Pumponator a reality. Given how it is selling so far, I think Lexi will more than pay for her future college tuition.